>> this is "bbc world news." andfunding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies. at can we do for you?

and and>> and now, "bbc world news." >> and this is a "bbc world news america." christmas card into, shoppers run for safety in belgium after a gunman goes on a rampage killing four and wounding more than 100. >> i saw all the people lying down, bleeding. i stopped to see if i could help some people. >> researchers in switzerland say that they are one step closer to uncovering this basic component of the universe. and is serving her country and her faith, tonight's person is breaking down barriers has the u.s. military's first can do chaplain -- hindu chaplain.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and also around the globe. the morning began peacefully in the belgian city, the christmas market was busy and festive. but when a gunman armed with grenades and assault rifle opened fire on holiday shoppers, the column was brutally shattered. the attack killed at least four people and injured more than 100 others. >> and they ran for their lives this afternoon. away from the bustling main square where the killing had started. the city center under siege, it felt. custer, she shouted. the most vulnerable rushed to safety.

>> i saw just one man shooting people, you know. and some explosions. two or three. all the people were running from there to here. >> seconds later, this was the scene. the gunmen threw three hand grenades into the crowd. one at a bus stop. several people died and more than 100 people were injured, some of them critically. >> i saw people lying down, bleeding and i stopped my car to see if i could help people. nearby lay the gunmen, he killed himself. he had previous convictions for arms dealing and drug possession had been released early from prison. this morning, he w had been summonedy police for questioning. he left his home carrying a

backpackontaining two guns and several grenades. then he headed for the main courthouse on the central square and on to the bus stop. for several hours, it was the city of unimaginable confusion and fear. special forces sealed off the main square. office workers huddled inside. this evening, the belgian king and queen are arrived to see the misery for themselves. at the scene of the attack, prosecutors don't yet know why this happened. what everyone does know is that it was a day of panhandle that few will forget. >> in deep shock in belgium tonight. i spoke to mathew just a short time ago. do the police have any more idea

about what motivated this attack? >> if they do, they are not making it public. the justice minister has said that they don't believe terrorism played a part and he doesn't believe mental illness played a part. we know that the gunman was known to the police who had been put in prison back in 2008 for weapons and drugs offenses. he had a large cache of weapons and marijuana at his house. there was some indication that he was being asked to come back for questioning. it does raise the possibility that they had some concerns about him. if they did, that is speculation at the moment, and they'll have to answer some pretty searching questions in the coming days. >> an enormous number of people were injured by one person. how did that happen?

>> i think partly as a result of the weapons he had. the pistol, a rifle, and three hand grenades. the way that hand grenades work in an urban environment is pretty devastating. the shrapnel ricochets off all the hard surfaces. the concrete, the cobblestones, and on one occasion, he threw it at a bus stock and some pretty shocking footage has come out of that. people lying injured, probably dying on the ground. there is a lot of shrapnel that goes into the body at close quarters and that explain why the latest figures are over 100 injured. >> unfortunately, it was not the only european city to suffer an attack today. in florence, a man killed the street vendors and wounded

others before turning the gun on himself. he is described as a far-right militants. how did the universe began? today, we might be one step closer to finding out. scientists have narrowed the search for a basic component of the universe. the team says that they have more evidence of what they believe is the mysterious particle known to you and me as the god particle. >> in an underground laboratory in geneva, the largest experiment is coming in on one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. scientists are closer to understanding the basic building blocks of matter. causing collisions to reveal what is inside.

and this afternoon, a long- awaited announcement. >> we're here to hear the latest. >> they compare findings from different experiments that both point to the existence of a fundamentally important particle hidden until now. >> we need many more collisions to get a definite answer. we saw some tantalizing things today. >> scientists have adult ever deeper into atoms have the strange world inside them. first is the nucleus with a electrons orbiting around it. that has been known for more than a century. then there are protons and neutrons. inside them are quite another minute particle. what gives the tiny things substance or mass? the theory is that they travel

through a forest and it slowed down by a. you cant see it, but see how it gives particles substance. the creation of matter. >> every particle at your body is interacting with this field, it is almost like a cosmic to rankle the permeates the universe. that is what gives particle's mass and ultimately gives you and me structure. >> and comes from different channels, and the -- >> the results are being studied all over the world. the students watched the events unfold. >> is quite a special moment. >> we were supposed to be part of the group that had such a big part in it. >> they lend me a bike to get

around when i last visited the machine. it has not given us a definitive answer. but these detectors have revealed a vital clues about how the universe got started. >> the russian president has said that the new parliament chosen in the election will have its first session on december 21. that is despite allegations of fraud. his knowledge of the complaints of malpractice, but gave no indication that he was considering a rerun. he has said he will remain faithful to the goals of the country's revolution. see here on the right, they said tunisia was being watched as a laboratory of democracy. a mass protest was a trigger for the arabs spring revolt.

pakistan the police have free almost 70 boys and men being kept in captivity in a religious school. the youngest people was 7 years old. the head of the school managed to run away. our correspondent has sent us this story. >> descending into a torture chamber. in chains down below, the men and boys that the police say were kept like animals. shackled, starved, and beaten. it was known locally as the jail. and for those here, that is what it was. they brought us here and they beat us. if we ask for food, they threaten to tie us up. if you make a mistake, they give

you 50 lashes with the belt. the cleric in charge of all this may get away. police are investigating of militants were linked. there is no proof, but some students claim they were getting lessons in jihad. a taliban fighter came, this man said. he told us that we will go to afghanistan to be suicide bombers. after they were free, the students were led away. still chained together because police could not find the keys. someone said to be drug addicts or petty criminals and their by their families for rehabilitation. some parents even provided the chains. others were enrolled to get a religious education. but the young were not scared. police say 8-year-old were

beaten and shackled. by day, parents gathered outside the police station, several angry that it had been closed. we're not here to take our children back, this man said. we can't control them. it will start stealing and misbehaving again. the ordeal may be over, but the students will bear the scars. this one was unregistered and unregulated like thousands of others. >> program scenes and a lot of questions in pakistan. now to syria where the united nations says the 5000 people have been killed in the government crackdown on protesters that began in march. and still, the international community isn't speaking with one voice.

moscow's foreign minister angrily accused the west of taking had a moral stance by pressuring the president while not condemning the armed extremist groups trying to oust him. for more, a senior fellow at the hoover institute. thank you for joining me. the 5000 people dead since march. the russians say that it is the west that is immoral, not speaking up for the president. there is no consensus? >> it was only 10 days ago that the united nations estimated that 4000 people had been killed since the rebellion erupted in syria. we added 1000 people in the last few days. 1500 people have died in the epicenter of this fight between the book tour, the regime, and

his population. libya let us astray. it we thought libya would be the example the before and rescue mission would come to syria and alas, we know better. >> the numbers seem to have increased. what is happening in syria? the un says they feel or there might be imminent crackdowns. >> i think the numbers might be too low. i think we understand the terror has really increased in syria, and we see them again at the center of this fight. the senior fought the battle against the muslim brotherhood. a generation ago, i think they are determined to fight this one in the city. he really believed that he can

prevail. he lives in his own parallel universe. let me read something from this famous interview. when asked about the security forces, the man says, they are not my forces. their military forces that belong to the government. i don't of them, i am president. the government in the world is killed -- no one in the world kills its own people unless they are crazy or criminal. >> he says he can get away with it because of what the russians are effectively saying. >> absolutely. despite the fact that he has crossed the rubicon and kicked out to the arab league, he has said the united nations is not a credible organization. despite the fact that the united nations human rights council be

recommended that he will be referred to the international criminal court, i believe this man is convinced that he can return to the society of nations. >> very briefly, are you still convinced that he will eventually go? >> he is resisting the very laws of gravity. it is a very long fight. >> you're watching bbc world news america. of fighting for their rights in libya as the country moves forward, women are raising their voices to have a say. a plan the design of the skyscraper is causing quite a stir. for many, it conjures images of the 9/11 attacks.

>> the city skyline never stays the same for a long and is getting harder for new buildings to stand out. but this one has before it has even been built. to apartment blocks of linked by a pixilated cloud. it resembles the collapse of the world trade center during the ./11 attac >> i was totally surprised and bewildered. the felt like something out of the novel. because this is just a many building, i wonder if it was a conspiracy. >> in the building design is very important in south korea. the front gate was moved and rotated a few years ago to wipe out changes made under the old japanese colonial rulers. the company says this latest one isn't about insensitivity, it is

about different cultural perceptions. >> even if it reminds people of 9/11, there is no law saying that it can't be built. >> i other has been some criticism of this because it looks like the 9/11 attack, but it looks like a piece of architecture. i think it is a fantastic designs. >> to the apartment complex is part of a flagship project to redevelop the site. it won't be finalized until next year. but for now, the pixilated c loud is here to stay. >> they were at the front and center of the revolution. the women of libya want an equal

say in the country's political future. so far, they aren't getting it. there are two women at the helm out of 26. despite helping get rid of colonel gaddafi, the new libya is just as male-dominated as the old one. we report on a new generation of activists fighting for their rights. >> and the doctor is a consultant pediatrician. while looking after the premature babies, she helped smuggle drugs to treat the wounded. she watched the battle for a bigger and better role for women. >> [unintelligible] if i have a dream to be a politician or leader -- >> and it is possible in the new

conditions? >> there is a good chance. >> women are finding their voice, a demonstration outside the prime minister's office. they want more to be done for the women raped during the war. in this conservative society, rape is the ultimate shamans. these women wanted the silence broken and the tougher penalties. are presenting a quota to write a new constitution. they have to out of 26 ministries. a star, but not enough. in this male-dominated society, it is still the man that make the political decisions. >> it is not just entrenched attitudes. everyone is buying to tell their

point of view, and that means religious hard-liners as well as supporters of women's rights. >> she feels like a bird has been let out of the cage. with the regime gone, she can finally express herself. a women's rights activists say it is time for them to write their own future. you will see next year, she says. it got willing, the future will be bright. the rebirth of libya after 42 years of rule has brought a sense of great opportunity here. but what will the future deliver, but a new generation of girls. >> women are wondering whether the arab spring will bring for them. when it comes to women breaking down barriers, she is in a class

all her own. the first hindu chaplain in the u.s. military talks about her unique role and what drove her to serve. >> i am the first hindu chaplain in the history of the united states military. in india, when i was there, women at that time were not allowed to join the military. they could join as doctors or nurses, but they could not join as soldiers. by the time it opened up, it was time to get married. the year that i came here was the same year that the november 11 happened.

it was too close to my heart. i decided that if i get an opportunity, i would serve the united states army. i have been deployed wants to iraq in 2007-2008, and i left my second daughter who was horn half or five months. traditionally south asians are known for choosing different professions like being a doctor. being a computer specialist. but the u.s. military is not a very common field. they have not had a hindu chaplain.

this is so meaningful to them because it has never been done before, and it sort of is an affirmation that they are serving and that the army or the air force, the navy, they're all taken care of spiritually and emotionally. especially in the more. the second-generation indians, they are americans. the family has to come along and be educated. there are soldiers i have counseled. i take it as an opportunity. there are calls for iraq where

struggles - w-here soldiers are struggling. krishna tells them on the battlefield, when your conflicted, kristian says is your duty. it is beautifully exclaimed that one should embrace our culling as the duty. >> one who has a pure soul and controls his mind and senses his gear to everyone. and and everyone is dear to him. >> providing comfort and breaking down barriers in her own culture and in her own adopted country. aat brings today's show to close, but remember that you can get updates on the web site. to reach me at the other teams, go to a twitter.

i will see you back here tomorrow. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global

strength to work for a wide range of financial companies. what can we do for you? >> bbc world news was presented by kcet los angeles.